View SlideshowRequest to buy this photoSAM GREENE | DISPATCH PHOTOSSol Philpott, 9, reacts in shock during a family night after his mother, Gloria, incorrectly answers a Trivial Pursuit question.

Six-year-old Estella Philpott pondered the Trivial Pursuit question: Which U.S. president was elected four times?

Given a choice among four possibilities, she took a stab at the answer: “ Franklin D. Roosevelt.”

Seated with her at the living-room table, father Carlos, mother Gloria and brother Sol erupted in cheers.

Mr. Philpott gave his daughter a high-five.

Estella grinned.

Such moments have become more common at the Philpott house in the North Linden neighborhood since September, when the weekly “family night” began.

Just the four of them gather every Friday to play board games, watch movies or go somewhere.

According to a recent survey by the Hasbro game company, they represent a majority: Among 1,000 U.S. parents of children 7 to 17 who were queried, 65 percent said they regularly schedule family time.

Mrs. Philpott, who home-schools her children, suggested the idea for her family.

“I was seeing Carlos getting busier and busier with church and other things,” she said of her husband, a database quality analyst who plays bass in the band at Sanctuary Columbus Church.

“Honestly, there was a three-week period when I realized my husband hadn’t been home for dinner or spent time with the kids. I said, ‘This isn’t working.’ ”

Initially, Mr. Philpott didn’t think they could keep one night a week free for the family.

He has since become a big fan.

“It has been a great thing,” he said. “It has created a lot of bonds between us.”

According to Dr. Claire Kamp Dush, an assistant professor of human sciences at Ohio State University, research shows that rituals such as a family night benefit young people.

“There is an entire body of literature about family rituals and routines that show how positive it is for child development,” Dush said. “Children need routine, and they like to know what to expect. Things like family night promote positive family communication.”

The Garvericks of Grove City attest to the concept.

About 10 years ago, parents Mike and Mindy watched as their children — Ben and Hope — became increasingly consumed with sports, music and church youth-group activities.

They didn’t designate a specific time each week, but they reserved a night for family as much as possible.

“We would just let the reins take themselves,” Mr. Garverick said. “We’ve had two or three food fights over the years — once, it was with pancakes with syrup — that were a mess to clean up.

“But (during the evenings) we always asked the kids to tell us one good thing and one bad thing that happened to them that week. It opened up all kinds of conversation.”

The family members enjoy the nights so much that they still plan them around return visits from 19-year-old Ben, a sophomore at Asbury University in Wilmore, Ky.

Hope, 18, is a senior at Grove City High School.

“I really think it has added a glue to our family,” Mr. Garverick said. “The kids actually ask for it and are excited about it, even at their age.”

Kathy Zalipski of Reynoldsburg wanted to remain connected to her grown children, Amanda and Kyle.

About four years ago, after the children had moved out (both are married), she settled on Tuesday as pizza night.

She joins her husband, Ed, in hosting their children and their spouses; their grandson, Tommy Scott, 3; and sometimes friends or co-workers.

“We’ve always had a very close family, and this keeps us close,” Zalipski said. “Everybody knows about it — even my hairdresser. She’ll say, ‘We can’t do it (schedule an appointment) Tuesday night, because that’s pizza night.’

“My son’s wife (Cassie) really loves it. She said she wished her family did something like this.”< /p>

Dush, the OSU professor, practices what she teaches.

The resident of the Clintonville neighborhood has family nights as often as possible with her husband, Aaron, and their four sons — 10 and younger.

In response to the Hasbro survey, Dush emphasized that such nights require the full attention of the whole family.

“You have to be doing things together; you can’t be texting or checking Facebook,” she said. “ How many of those 65 percent (of parents) are actually playing Monopoly?”

For the Philpotts, the recent family night was filled with laughter and casual affection.

The get-togethers, Mr. Philpott said, have helped change his values.

“I’m beginning to see life differently,” he said. “I’m always looking at impacting the world in some positive way. I took that as my mission, and Gloria has the same focus.

“Finally, because of this (family night), I’ve begun to realize that . . . we can impact the world together as a family. But that requires us to spend time together with the kids, so they get what we’re about.”